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Population of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Based on the 2015 Census of Population)

Release Date: 10 June 2016

The population of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as of August 1, 2015 was 3,781,387 based on the 2015 Census of Population (POPCEN 2015).

Table 1. Population of the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao
(Based on the 2000, 2010, and 2015 Censuses)

Census Year

Census Reference Date

Population
(in millions)

2000

May 1, 2000

2.80

2010

May 1, 2010

3.26

2015

August 1, 2015

3.78

The 2015 population of the region is higher by 525,247 compared with the 2010 population of 3.26 million, and by 978,342 thousand compared with the 2000 population of 2.80 million. Refer to Table 1.

The population of ARMM increased by 2.89 percent annually, on average, during the period 2010 to 2015. By comparison, the rate at which the region’s population grew during the period 2000 to 2010 was higher at 1.51 percent. See Table 2.

Among the five provinces comprising the region, Maguindanao (excluding Cotabato City) had the biggest population in 2015 with 1.17 million, followed by Lanao del Sur with 1.05 million, Sulu with 825 thousand, and Tawi-Tawi with 391 thousand. Basilan (excluding the City of Isabela) had the smallest population with 347 thousand. Refer to Table 3.

The total population of ARMM accounted for about 3.7 percent of the Philippine population in 2015.

Table 3. Population by Province:
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(Based on the 2000, 2010, and 2015 Censuses)

Province

Population (in thousands)

2000

2010

2015

Basilan (excluding the City of Isabela)

260

293

347

Lanao del Sur

800

933

1,045

Maguindanao (excluding Cotabato City)

801

945

1,174

Sulu

620

718

825

Tawi-Tawi

322

367

391

Maguindanao (excluding Cotabato City) was the fastest growing province in the region with an average annual population growth rate (PGR) of 4.22 percent during the period 2010 to 2015. It was followed by Basilan (excluding the City of Isabela) with a PGR of 3.23 percent, Sulu (2.66 percent), and Lanao del Sur (2.18 percent). Tawi-Tawi posted the lowest provincial PGR of 1.22 percent. See Table 4.

ARMM is composed of two component cities, 116 municipalities, and 2,490 barangays.

Among the cities and municipalities in the region, the largest in terms of population size is Marawi City, Lanao del Sur with 201,785 persons. It was followed by Jolo, Sulu with 125,564 persons and Bongao, Tawi-Tawi with 100,527 persons. Refer to Table 5.

The Municipality of Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi is the least populous city/municipality in ARMM with 4,727 persons. It was followed by Hadji Panglima Tahil in Sulu (6,375) and Lumbaca-Unayan in Lanao del Sur (7,260). Six other municipalities in the province of Lanao del Sur and one municipality in the province of Maguindanao comprise the rest of the ten least populous cities/municipalities in the region. See Table 6.

Of the 2,490 barangays in ARMM, the largest in terms of population size is Bus-bus in Jolo, Sulu with 36,650 persons. It was followed by Poblacion in Buluan, Maguindanao with 25,370 persons and Asturias in Jolo, Sulu with 23,085 persons. Refer to Table 7.